rd

2 Chronicles 34

1 Ioſiáh deſtroyeth the idoles, 8 And reſtoreth the Temple. 14 The boke of the Lawe is founde. 21 He ſendeth to Huldáh the propheteſſe for counſel. 27 God heareth his prayer. 31 He maketh a couenant with God.
1.IOſiáh was eight yere olde whẽ he began to reigne, and he reigned in Ieruſalém one and thirtie yere.
2.And he did vprightly in the ſight of the Lord, and walked in the wayes of Dauid his father, and bowed nether to the right hand nor to the left.
3.And in the eight yere of his reigne (when he was yet a childe) he began to ſeke after the God of Dauid his father: and in the twelft yere he began to purge Iudáh, and Ieruſalém from the hie places, and the groues, and the kerued images, and moltẽ images:
4.And they brake downe in his ſight the altars of Baalim, and he cauſed to cut downe the images that were on hie vpon them: he brake alſo the groues, & the kerued images, and the molten images, and ſtampt them to poudre, and ſtrowed it vpon the graues of them that had ſacrificed vnto them.
5.Alſo he burnt the bones of the Prieſts vpon their altars, and purged Iudáh and Ieruſalém.
6.And in ye cities of Manaſſéh, & Ephráim, and Simeón, euen vnto Naphtalí, with their maules they brake all rounde about.
7.And when he had deſtroyed the altars and the groues, and had broken and ſtamped to poudre the images, and had cut downe all the idoles throughout all the land of Iſraél, he returned to Ieruſalém.
8.¶ Then in the eightente yere of his reigne when he had purged the land and the Temple, he ſent Shaphán the ſonne of Azaliáh, and Maaſeáh the gouernour of the citie, and Ioáh the ſonne of Ioaház the recorder, to repare the houſe of the Lord his God.
9.And when they came to Hilkiáh the hie Prieſt, they deliuered the money that was broght into the houſe of God, which the Leuites that kept the dore, had gathered at the hand of Manaſſéh, and Ephráim, & of all the reſidue of Iſraél, and of all Iudáh and Beniamín, and of the inhabitãts of Ieruſalém.
10.And they put it in the hands of them that ſhulde do the worke & had the ouerſight in the houſe of the Lord: and they gaue it to the workemen that wroght in the houſe of the Lord, to repare & amende the houſe.
11.Euen to the workemen & to the buylders gaue they it, to bye hewed ſtone and timber for couples & for beames of the houſes, which the Kings of Iudáh had deſtroyed.
12.And the men did the worke faithfully, and the ouerſeers of them were Iaháth and Obadiáh the Leuites, of the children of Merarí, and Zechariáh, and Meſhullám, of the children of the Kohathites to ſet it forwarde: and of the Leuites all that colde ſkil of inſtruments of muſike.
13.And they were ouer the bearers of burdẽs, and them that ſet forwarde all the workemen in euerie worke: and of the Leuites were ſcribes, & officers and porters.
14.¶ And when they broght out the money that was broght into the houſe of the Lord, Hilkiáh the Prieſt foũde the boke of the Law of the Lord giuen by the hãd of Moſés.
15.Therefore Hilkiáh anſwered and ſaid to Shaphán the chanceler, I haue founde the boke of the Lawe in the houſe of the Lord: and Hilkiáh gaue the boke to Shaphán.
16.And Shaphán caryed the boke to the King, and broght the King worde againe, ſaying, All that is committed to the hand of thy ſeruants, that do they.
17.For they haue gathered the money that was founde in the houſe of the Lord, and haue deliuered it into the hands of the ouerſeers, and to the hands of the workemen.
18.Alſo Shaphán the chanceler declared to the King, ſaying, Hilkiáh the Prieſt hathe giuen me a boke, & Shaphán read it before the King.
19.And when the King had heard the wordes of the Lawe, he tare his clothes.
20.And the King commanded Hilkiáh, and Ahikám the ſonne of Shaphán, & Abdón the ſonne of Micáh, & Shaphán the chanceler, and Aſaiáh the Kings ſeruant, ſaying,
21.Go and enquire of the Lord for me, and for the reſt in Iſraél and Iudáh, concerning the wordes of this boke that is founde: for great is the wrath of the Lord yt is fallen vpon vs, becauſe our fathers haue not kept the worde of the Lord, to do after all that is writen in this boke.
22.Then Hilkiáh and they that the King had appointed, went to Huldáh the propheteſſe the wife of Shallúm, the ſonne of Tokháth, the ſonne of Haſráh keper of the wardrobe (and ſhe dwelt in Ieruſalém within the colledge) and they communed hereof with her.
23.And ſhe anſwered them, Thus ſaith the Lord God of Iſraél, Tel ye the man that ſent you to me,
24.Thus ſaith the Lord, Beholde, I wil brĩg euil vpon this place, and vpon the inhabitants thereof, euen all the curſes, that are writen in the boke which they haue red before the King of Iudáh:
25.Becauſe they haue forſakẽ me, and burnt incẽſe vnto other gods, to angre me with all the workes of their hands, therefore ſhal my wrath fall vpon this place, & ſhal not be quenched.
26.But to the King of Iudáh, who ſent you to enquire of the Lord, ſo ſhal ye ſay vnto him, Thus ſaith the Lord God of Iſraél, The wordes which thou haſt heard, ſhal come to paſſe.
27.But becauſe thine heart did melt, and thou dideſt humble thy ſelf before God, whẽ thou heardeſt his wordes againſt this place and againſt the inhabitants thereof, and humbledſt thy ſelfe before me and tareſt thy clothes, and wepteſt before me, I haue alſo heard it, ſaith the Lord.
28.Beholde, I wil gather thee to thy fathers, and thou ſhalt be put in thy graue in peace, and thine eyes ſhal not ſe all the euil, which I wil bring vpon this place, and vpon the inhabitants of the ſame. Thus they broght the King worde againe.
29.¶ Then the King ſent and gathered all the Elders of Iudáh and Ieruſalém.
30.And the King went vp into the houſe of the Lord, and all the men of Iudáh, and the inhabitants of Ieruſalém, and the Prieſts and the Leuites, and all the people frõ the greateſt to the ſmalleſt, and he red in their eares all the wordes of the boke of the couenant that was founde in the houſe of the Lord.
31.And the King ſtode by his piller, and made a couenant before the Lord, to walke after the Lord, and to kepe his commãdements, and his teſtimonies, and his ſtatutes, with all his heart, and with all his ſoule, & ꝙ he wolde accõpliſh the wordes of the couenant writen in the ſame boke.
32.And he cauſed all that were founde in Ieruſalém, and Beniamín to ſtand to it: & the inhabitants of Ieruſalém did according to the couenant of God, euen the God of their fathers.
33.So Ioſiáh toke away all the abominacions out of all the countreis that perteined to the children of Iſraél, and compelled all that were found in Iſraél, to ſerue the Lord their God: ſo all his daies they turned not backe from the Lord God of their fathers.

Notes

1:*.
2.King. 22. 1.
2:a.
He followed Dauid in all pointes that he followed ye Lord.
3:b.
When he was but ſixtene yere olde, he ſhewed him ſelfe zealous of Gods glorie, & at twelue yere olde he aboliſhed idolatrie and reſtored ye true religion.
4:c.
Which ſheweth that he wolde ſe the reformacion wt his owne eies.
5:*.
Read 2.Kig. 23.16.
7:e.
This great zeale of this godlie King ye holie Goſt ſetteth forthe as an example & paterne to other Kings & rulers, to teache thẽ what God requireth of them.
8:*.
2.King 22.3.
9:".
Or, they returned to Ieruſalem, meaning, Shaphan, &c.
11:f.
For there were many porcions and pieces annexed to the Temple.
12:g.
Meaning, yt they were in ſuche credite for their fidelitie, that they made none accomptes of that which thei receiued, 2.Kig. 22.9.
14:*.
Read 2 Kig. 22.8.
16:i.
For ye King was commanded to haue continually a copie of this boke, & to read therein day & night, Deut. 17.18.
19:k.
For ſorow that ye worde of God had bene ſo long ſuppreſſed, and ye people kept in ignorance, cõſidering alſo the curſes cõteined therein againſt ye trãſgreſſours.
21:l.
Thus ye godlie do not only lament their owne ſinnes, but alſo that their fathers and predeceſſours haue offended God.
22:".
Or, Tikuáh
22:".
Or, Harhás.
22:m.
Meaning, either of the Prieſts apparel, or of the Kings
22:n.
Read hereof 2 King. 22, 14.
23:o.
That is, to the King.
25:p.
This he ſpeaketh in cõtempt of the idolaters, who contrarie to reaſon and nature make that a god, which they haue made, and framed with their owne hands
27:q.
This declareth what is yͤ end of Gods threatnings, to call his to repentance, & to aſſure the vnrepentant of their deſtructiõ.
28:r.
It may appeare that very fewe were touched wͭ true repentance, ſeing that God ſpared thẽ for a time onely for the Kings ſake.
30:s.
Foraſmuch as nether yõg nor olde colde be excuſed frõ the curſes cõteined therein, if they did tranſgreſſe, he knewe it apperteined to all & was his duetie to ſe it red to all ſortes, that euerie one might learne to auoyde thoſe puniſhementes by ſeruing God aright.
33:t.
Becauſe he had charge ouer all & muſt anſwer for euerie one that periſhed, he thoght it his duetie to ſe yͤ all ſhulde make profeſſiõ to receiue the worde of God.